Everything Ends, but Dreams Never Die
by izumi-chan7475
Summary: The grueling battle with the Armored Titan only left four members of the Survey Corps alive, but Eren wants to end the era of the Titans altogehter. There's only the Colossal Titan left to defeat, and Eren will do whatever it takes to end the war. Rated M for gore, because, hey, it's Attack on Titan.


_**A/N: I had to tweak the canon about the Titans a bit for this, so I don't expect any comments saying, "That's not what happens in the anime/manga." It's fanfiction. I had to change some stuff. Other than that, enjoy. :)**_

* * *

_Armin's POV_

This was it.

Ten years since the first Titan attack. Ten years since Eren swore vengeance on every last Titan in our world.

There was only one left. The Colossal Titan.

Hundreds of thousands of troops had died in order to slay the rest of them. We had recently taken down the Armored Titan, which had been our most arduous task so far, until we set out for the colossal Titan.

Eren's theory was that both the Armored and Colossal Titans were indeed controlled by humans, just as the Female Titan was. After countless encounters and studies on them, we concluded that these Titans were not intelligent enough to be Titan shifters. They were just the alphas or leaders of their entire species.

Eren's power alone was not enough to take down the Armored Titan. We convinced Annie to help us and received supplies, weaponry, and additional troops from the Garrison, although they were not much use fighting the Armored Titan alongside the Survey Corps. With all of these in our power, it took sixteen hours to take down the Titan. Thousands of casualties resulted.

The only members of the Survey Corps left were me, Captain Levi, Eren, and Jean. We had lost everything in our fight with the Armored Titan. Eren had to be stopped from slicing his own throat open when Mikasa's remains were found. She had used her maneuver gear to throw herself at a Titan but overshot and splattered against a building. Everyone was in denial, for Mikasa was the most skilled member of the Corps, next to Levi. My old friend, Mikasa. I've had to deal with many, many deaths before this, but her... No one expected her to die like that. Eren screamed till his throat was raw when we found her and clawed at his face until it bled. I couldn't do anything to comfort him, for I felt exactly the same. He's been blaming everyone lately for her death. Even though he's lost so much already, this has really finished him. I don't know if he will fight again, but, knowing Eren...

He was going after the Colossal Titan. Levi told him to wait until we could learn more about it, but Eren wouldn't listen, as usual. It was the morning after the Armored Titan's defeat, we were roosting at Survey Corps HQ.

He told us the plan. I couldn't even believe it. "I have to be eaten by it."

"What the hell is wrong with you, Jaeger?" Jean yelled. "We're not aiding in your suicide!"

"No!" Eren retorted. "You're not. If we try to strike the Colossal Titan's exterior, it will just disappear! If I can somehow get inside of it, I will be able to kill it from the inside!"

"Eren, you'll be chewed to bits or boiled alive." I told him. "And how do you plan on killing him from the inside, anyway? The weak spot... It can't be reached from the stomach."

Eren stared me down. His eyes were red and puffy from crying all night over Mikasa, I stayed up all night listening to it. I just couldn't fall asleep thinking about her, but trying to comfort Eren would have been a death wish. "Armin, I've been swallowed alive by Titans before. I've survived their stomach acid and even-"

"Eren, this is no ordinary Titan." Levi spoke for the first time that morning. Everyone turned to face him. "Your plan is foolish."

"If I can get inside the colossal Titan and survive its stomach for long enough, I can climb up its throat at carve through to the nape of its neck!" Eren shouted.

"That's IF you can do this, Jaeger." Jean hissed. "Will you transform into Titan forme?"

"No." Eren answered. "I can think better and use weapons more efficiently in my human forme. Jean, where do you store diamond blades?"

"Diamond?" Jean asked, dumbfounded. "We only have two that we've been saving for a long, long time,"

Eren stood up from his seat. "I will need them. This is our final battle. Bring them to me, Jean!"

"Aye," Jean replied and left the room.

"Jaeger! You're a dumbass! The rest of us have barely had enough time to recover! Not everyone has regenerative abilities!" Levi growled.

Eren sat back down. "Captain, we are the only ones left. What else can we do with just the four of us? It's now or never."

I opened my mouth to argue but closed it before I could speak. Eren was right, but I was not sure about his strategy.

Later that day, we had journeyed to Wall Rose, where the colossal Titan was last spotted. Eren was in full protection armor and 3D maneuver gear, carrying his two diamond blades, harder than any metal. His eerie green eyes glinted with hatred in the sunlight as we marched on, Levi, Jean and I flanking Eren. The rest of us had our standard maneuver gear and uniforms, along with extra tempered blades.

By the time we reached Wall Rose it was well past noon, for the sun was already beginning to descend towards the horizon.

"Eren, how do we know the Titan will even show?" I asked.

"Trust me," he replied. "This Titan can smell a challenge from a hundred miles away."

We stood in silence for a few minutes. The tension was unnerving, and Jean grumbled, "This is pointless. We may as well head back now-" he was cut off as a shadow blocked out the sunlight.

He was here.

Levi put his hand on Eren's shoulder. "Go. And don't die, you suicidal bastard." Eren shot himself upwards at the Titan, bellowing at the top of his lungs, "You will pay for all you've done, you piece of shit!" The last I saw of him was a glint of silver armor in the sun.

"Eren told me that the Titan will only flee if its neck is being targeted from behind." I reassured my companions.

Levi ignored my statement. "I don't know why the hell we came here," he muttered. "He's probably being chewed to bits right now and all we can do is watch."

"Eren said to distract the Titan while he crawls up its throat." Jean announced. "C'mon, let's lead it around for a bit."

* * *

_Eren's POV_

I hovered in front of his fat, ugly shitface, waiting for the right moment. This big dummy wouldn't crack my plan. He opened his jaws wide and I flew inside, trying not to get my limbs caught in his teeth. It all happened in an instant, being thrown down the monster's throat and into his stomach. I tried to cling onto the walls of his throat to make my climb less demanding, but it was no use. I had to go all the way down. I used my maneuver gear to soften the landing, for I could've been dead on impact if I didn't. The first thing I thought was, "It's hot as hell down here." and it was. I could barely take the heat. Surprisingly, there were no mangled bodies or dying citizens floating around in that cesspool. That's right- this Titan was all bark and no bite, but it had still destroyed our city and caused its species to kill everyone I had ever loved. I maneuvered myself up the esophagus, not even realizing how long it would take. The heat of the titan's body began to sink into my bones until I felt like I was melting, but I trekked on, adrenaline pumping in my veins.

It took what felt like an hour to reach the top. What I needed to do was use my diamond swords to hack through the back of his throat until it sliced deep enough to the hit its weak spot. It seemed easy at first, but I could barely see, breathe, or move my limbs. I flung myself at the muscle and tissue, slicing with the sword in my right hand and using my gear to catch myself before I fell down the throat again. As soon as the blade his hit flesh, the Titan roared, louder than an explosion, and I screamed in agony. I threw my right hand over my ear, letting that sword fall into the abyss. My ear rung and I felt a gush of blood on my index and middle fingers. The ear was blown out. Wincing in pain, I grabbed my other sword in my right hand and hacked again, and again, and again, the Titan's boiling blood burning my face then dissolving, my pained screams drowned out by the monster's own bellowing. "This is for you, mom... Mikasa... HUMANITY!"

* * *

_Armin's POV_

The three of us flung ourselves near the titan's face, nearly 50 meters off the ground. Its skinless face watched us angrily, smashing its fists against Wall Rose. I flew behind it, trying to confuse him.

"Armin!" I heard Jean yell. "Don't go behind him or he'll- ACK!" He was cut off and I whirled back around. Jean was caught in the Titan's fist.

"Jean!" I screamed, but it was too late. My comrade was thrown against the wall, blood splattering against the stone. "JEAN!"

Levi zipped by, swearing under his breath. "What is taking Jaeger so damn long?" As if on cue, the Titan began roaring in pain, holding its throat.

"That's Eren." I said, maneuvering onto a nearby roof. Levi followed. "Jean's dead," I choked.

"I saw," the captain replied, not showing any emotion. He looked up. "I think Eren is winning..."

* * *

_Eren's POV_

My skin was frying and my one good ear was ringing. Each roar sent me flying into the other side of the Titan's throat. Each hack with my sword cut deeper and deeper into the flesh, getting closer and closer to the tendon. Just as I thought I had pierced it, I felt the Titan lurch forward, sending my blade flying. I shrieked as I felt a sharp slice cut deep into my right eye, crying out in pain. I grabbed the sword that had hit me and slapped my left hand over my eye, blood dripping through my fingers. "It hurts... Mom... Help me..." I hacked away blindly once more as I slipped in and out of consciousness, sticky hot blood dripping down my face. In what felt like a second, my other ear blew out, even before I could hear the Titan's roar. All I could see was blackness, and I could hear nothing. I felt the Colossal Titan slowly lurch forwards and then descend, faster than gravity, to the ground. As we fell, I swore I could see someone watching me, holding out their hands." I grabbed on with both of mine and was pulled out of the Titan's body into blinding orange light. "Mom? Mikasa? Is that you?"

"No... but It's time you lived your dream. Welcome home, Eren."

* * *

_Armin's POV_

The Titan bellowed for the last time and fell forwards, almost in slow motion. I flung myself out of its path just before it collided with the roof.

"It's over..." I thought. "This living hell... It's over. The Titans are dead." My hands shook.

As the smoke cleared, I maneuvered back towards the titan's skeleton, convincing myself that Eren had made it. The Titan was dead, but there was no reason to celebrate yet. But before I even reached the monster...

"Levi..."

The captain hadn't had time to move out of the way when the Titan had fallen. I dropped onto the ground next to the crushed building, searching the rubble. "Levi?! Where are you?! Answer me!"

He was nowhere to be found. I wiped salty tears from my face. "Stop crying, fucking wimp!" I scolded myself. I decided to go search for Eren and try to find Levi again later. Eren needed to be evacuated.

I approached the steaming Titan bones with caution, speeding up when I saw Eren's shape slumped over its spine. "Eren?!" I shouted. I reached him and shook his shoulders. "E-Eren?" he rolled over on his back, and I screamed out loud. There was a peaceful grin on his face, but Eren's face were smeared with blood. He may as well could have been alive, but, as a crowning jewel, Eren's special diamond sword was wedged through his skull, as if the Titan's fall had sent the sword flying into his head. I stepped back, my right hand over my mouth. "Eren... YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME ALONE!" I threw myself at my best friend. "Eren! Wake up! Eren! EREN! Please!" I shook his shoulders. "Heal yourself and wake up! Eren..." I choked on tears, and this time, I let them flow. "Eren... You killed them all... We can go see the outside world, just like you promised..." I shut my eyes tight, not wanting to look at his face anymore. "Why did you do it, Eren?" I whispered. "You... You left me alone..."

All of the Titans were dead. But so were all of my friends.

* * *

_3 years later (Armin's POV)_

I drove past the remains of Wall Maria, Eren in the passenger seat. All of the walls had been obliterated and the city was almost done being rebuilt. The expansion project into the outside world was also underway- I was using one of the new roads now. I had a map propped up on the dashboard, anxious to reach my destination.

I never did find Levi's body. If he had escaped, he would have came and found us. It took months to accept his death, but years to accept Eren's.

I parked the car a few feet away from the cliff, slamming the door behind me as I got out. I then let Eren out and walked to the edge of the rock formation that jutted out over the ocean.

I stood for a while, watching the endless water ripple in the orange sunlight. It was better than we had ever imagined it, the sea.

I sighed and took the lid off the urn, wiping my eyes fiercely. "We made it, Eren. To the outside world." I paused, then continued. "It's all thanks to you, brave Eren Jaeger. You saved us... You saved me. I don't want to live without you, No... but it's time you lived your dream." I closed my eyes and tossed Eren's ashes over the edge, smiling through tears. "Welcome home, Eren."


End file.
